This will be the place to read about my 4 journeys as a gestational surrogate and my hectic life with 2 kiddos. I may even share some recipes from time to time. Check it out frequently for the latest happenings. :)

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Here is the latest view of my pantry. Isn't it lovely? I will let you all in on a little secret. I have been subscribing to a website called the Grocery Game since the end of August. It has saved me oodles of money since I started. Every week, I collect the coupons from the Sunday paper and then I match them up with the sale list that the GG has for me. You would think that you could just match your coupons up with the sales ads every week, but you would be mistaken if you think that will save you loads of $. This gal has figured out sales trends since 2000 and she knows when a sale is rock bottom and when it is a "phantom" sale designed to trick you into using your coupon before the item hits its lowest price. The first week, I save $40 and I thought that was great. Little did I know that it was going to get better each week. I saved more and more each week until I hit over the $100 mark this past Sunday. My receipt shows that I save $101.69 on my order and I can post a photo if you need me to prove it, LOL. I should frame it! They actually had to call a manager over to approve the transaction because the savings amount was over the expected amount. I was thrilled. I ended up buying $250 worth of groceries for $150. That is simply amazing. I pay the GG $10 every 8 weeks for her list of sales and recommended coupons. It is an amazing deal. She offers a $1 trial for 4 weeks and I highly recommend giving it a go. Now mind you, it is hard starting out because she will rely on coupons from a few months earlier and you won't have them. You have to gather up your coupons each week and after around 12 weeks, you will have all the same coupons she uses. Check it out and see if any of your local grocery stores are offered. I use Harris Teeter. Food Lion is also an option for me, but their coupon policy sucks. They do not double them. HT doubles up to 20 coupons that are $.99 and below. They rock! Oh, I forgot to mention that the GG helps you learn to stockpile so that you won't need to go out and grab something unexpectedly because you ran out. Instead, you end up only buying necessities when they are on rock bottom sale. I heard on 2 peas that it takes a couple of months to build your supply. One gal said that you spend the same amount on groceries as usual your first couple of months, but you bring home almost twice the groceries. She claimed that somewhere between month 3 and 4, you will start spending less and your stockpile begins to stabilize. If you are interested in the GG, check the website at http://www.thegrocerygame.com . Feel free to use me as a referral. I sure wouldn't mind :)

I'm so glad to see you post this Brandy because I've checked it out and was skeptical! I always am though, but I might just give it a try and see! Feeding 5 mouths is not cheap, and I'd love to shop smarter! I just go in and get what we need each week, and it is ADDING UP fast!

About Me

I am a stay-at-home Mom to 2 crazy boys and married to the best hubby ever. I went to NC State, I love to cook and I am a 3X gestational carrier/surrogate. My first surro journey was completed in 2007 (baby boy born 12/27/07), the second journey was completed in 2009 (baby girl born 03-06-09), and the third journey in 2013 (baby girl born 03-15-13). The surrogirls are sisters. I am now working on my 4th and final journey with an international couple. :)